Detonating cable



Nov. 12, 1957 TYSON 2,812,710

DETONATING CABLE Filed Feb. 18, 1955:

INVENTOR/ H '11 T BY 111" 7.5011.

ATTORNEYS States DETONATING CABLE Harry D. Tyson, Miami, Fla., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a detonating cable and more particularly to a novel elongated cord charged with a high explosive and adapted to fragment metal rings threaded thereon.

In ground warfare it is frequently desirable to have available a device that can be quickly and easily laid out in any desired pattern to function as an anti-personnel weapon. To this end it is necessary that the assembly be light, easily and safely handled and positive in action so that a very flexible and versatile ordnance mechanism is produced.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a novel detonating cable having the foregoing. recited characteristics.

It is a further and more specific object of my invention to provide a detonating cable including a series of metal rings adapted to be fragmented by an explosive charge.

Other features and advantages of this invention will presently become apparent from consideration of the following specification and the drawing included therein.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like parts,

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of the preferred embodiment of my detonating cable.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the cable of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the cable of Figure 2 turned through 90 degrees.

This invention is embodied in the present instance, by way of illustration, by the structure disclosed in Figure 1 wherein reference character 1 indicates generally a longitudinal flexible tube filled with a high explosive 2. A large number of steel rings 3 are arranged in juxtaposition along the cable and are deeply scored on the external surfaces thereof to create shrapnel upon exatet plosion. As is best seen in Figure 2 a continuous circumferential kerf 4 is cut along the longitudinal midpoint of the ring and longitudinal kerfs 5 are cut at right angles thereto. A series of holes 6 are drilled at the intersections of the several cuts substantially as shown whereby the rings are divided into segments connected together by portions of relatively low strength. A detonator 7 is suitably secured to the cable or may be made integral therewith. In the present illustration an electrical detonator is used having leads 8 for connection to a source of electrical energy.

In operation my novel weapon can be quickly laid out in any desired length or pattern by a minimum of personnel. It can be fired or set off by a trip wire, stepon attachments or by remote control of an operator. It can be buried, laid on the ground, hung in trees or on poles, along road sides, planted on beaches or hedge rows or in any pattern to cover all approaches to a position. It can be readily seen that when the detonator is actuated the explosion of the charge within the cable violently bursts the scored rings and the segments there of fly apart with great force.

It is thus seen that a simple, flexible, compact and reliable detonating cable has been described. Variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is intended to be restricted only by the appended claim as interpreted in view of the prior art.

I claim:

A detonating fragmentation cable comprising in combination an elongated flexible tube substantially filled with a high explosive, a plurality of cylindrical rings encompassing said tube in closely embraced frictional relationship throughout substantially the entire length of said cable, said rings being spaced from one another slightly in order to allow the tube to flex, a detonator arranged to initiate said high explosive, said cylindrical rings being circumferentially and longitudinally scored.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,816,100 Ulrik July 28, 1931 2,362,829 Kinley Nov. 14, 1944 2,409,848 Greulich Oct. 22, 1946 2,411,862 Arnold Dec. 3, 1946 2,509,205 Bisch May 30, 1950 2,654,321 Robinson Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,443 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1942 OTHER REFERENCES Article of McBride published in The Explosives Engineer, May-June 1947, page 86. 

